[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 4, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH

  (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, October is National Domestic Violence 
Month. Unlike other months that commemorate and celebrate different 
cultures and causes, National Domestic Violence Month gives the 
American people no reason to celebrate. It's purpose is to open 
America's eyes to a problem that has plagued millions of women 
throughout the years, a problem that not only affects poor and minority 
women, but women and families in all walks of life.
  With the passage of the Violence Against Women Act this summer, 
Congress sent a clear message to batterers. Your abuses would no longer 
be tolerated. Millions of women now know that there is an escape from 
the nightmare. That with this bill they can seek shelter and 
counseling, and most importantly that their abusers will be prosecuted 
to the full extent of the law.
  This is only a small step in the fight against domestic violence. 
Many more still need to be taken. The patterns of violence that plague 
the women of our country must be broken, and together, we can all bring 
an end to the vicious cycle of abuse.

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